- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,428
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Lewis Milestone's 1932 take on W. Somerset Maugham's story is an important film for a number of reasons.
Beyond Mr. Milestone's direction, there's Joan Crawford (loaned to UA by M-G-M), Walter Huston (great grandson of Texas' Sam), a score by Alfred Newman and the camerawork of Oliver Marsh, who also appears to have been borrowed from M-G-M, possibly at the behest of Ms. Crawford.
For those unfamiliar with the work of Mr. Maugham, think The Letter, Of Human Bondage, as well as The Razor's Edge.
I've never seen a quality presentation of Rain, as it has been locked in PD purgatory for decades - probably improperly early on, as while the film had gone un-renewed, the underlying lit appears to have been protected until 2004.
Thegood great news is that VCI by virtue of access to the Library of Congress 35mm nitrate print contributed by The Mary Pickford Foundation has made it available on Blu-ray.
And this is a big deal, as the final product is unlike anything I've ever seen.
A comfortable grain structure, a nicely resolved image, nice black levels, and a gray scale only slightly impeded by the source. The image is stable and clean without any problematic digital artifacts.
Bottom line, it's a pleasure to watch.
The work originally came to the screen as the silent 1928 Sadie Thompson starring Gloria Swanson. That was followed by Rain in 1932, and in 1953, Miss Sadie Thompson - finally as Maugham had intended - in 3D. This was actually the second time in 3D. The first the 1944 Broadway musical starring June Havoc, directed by Rouben Mamoulian.
When visiting Pago Pago, spend a night at the Sadie Thompson Inn, where her ghost is said to walk the boards at night.
As an aside, I wondered why this ended up at the LoC via the Pickford collection. The only possibilities that I've been told make sense, are that it was a UA release, and that at the time of production, Miss Crawford was married to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Image - 4.25
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Upgrade from DVD - Absolutely!
Highly Recommended
RAH
Beyond Mr. Milestone's direction, there's Joan Crawford (loaned to UA by M-G-M), Walter Huston (great grandson of Texas' Sam), a score by Alfred Newman and the camerawork of Oliver Marsh, who also appears to have been borrowed from M-G-M, possibly at the behest of Ms. Crawford.
For those unfamiliar with the work of Mr. Maugham, think The Letter, Of Human Bondage, as well as The Razor's Edge.
I've never seen a quality presentation of Rain, as it has been locked in PD purgatory for decades - probably improperly early on, as while the film had gone un-renewed, the underlying lit appears to have been protected until 2004.
The
And this is a big deal, as the final product is unlike anything I've ever seen.
A comfortable grain structure, a nicely resolved image, nice black levels, and a gray scale only slightly impeded by the source. The image is stable and clean without any problematic digital artifacts.
Bottom line, it's a pleasure to watch.
The work originally came to the screen as the silent 1928 Sadie Thompson starring Gloria Swanson. That was followed by Rain in 1932, and in 1953, Miss Sadie Thompson - finally as Maugham had intended - in 3D. This was actually the second time in 3D. The first the 1944 Broadway musical starring June Havoc, directed by Rouben Mamoulian.
When visiting Pago Pago, spend a night at the Sadie Thompson Inn, where her ghost is said to walk the boards at night.
As an aside, I wondered why this ended up at the LoC via the Pickford collection. The only possibilities that I've been told make sense, are that it was a UA release, and that at the time of production, Miss Crawford was married to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Image - 4.25
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Upgrade from DVD - Absolutely!
Highly Recommended
RAH
